


Opportunity

by mulderbaby



Series: Fictober 2020 [13]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: Adoption, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Family, Fluff, Not Canon Compliant, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:14:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mulderbaby/pseuds/mulderbaby
Summary: Fictober Day 21Prompt: “do I have to do everything here?”
Relationships: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully, Fox Mulder & Emily Sim, Fox Mulder/Dana Scully, Fox Mulder/Emily Sim
Series: Fictober 2020 [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1980989
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	Opportunity

Scully had been in a particularly eager mood since she’d arrived at the office this morning. Sure, her spirits had been lifted significantly since her and Mulder had immersed themselves in this beautiful romance that they shared, but today she was especially giddy. He certainly wasn’t complaining, though, as few things made him happier than seeing her so happy, and knowing that he was part of the reason.

“Any big plans tonight?” She murmurs into his ear, kissing behind it and wrapping her arms around his shoulders from behind as he files through paperwork at his desk. He smirks, contemplating whether or not he should tease her by playing hard to get, when they both were well aware that his big plans only ever included him, Scully, and more recently, Emily.

“I don’t know, do you have any big plans for me tonight?” He turns his head to look at her, unable to resist the urge to kiss her gently, earning a blush and a satisfied smile from his lover.

“Maybe.” She squeezes his shoulders affectionately before hopping up on his desk, her legs dangling off of it as he sets down the packet of paper in his hand to give her his full attention.

“Emily says that you don’t hang out with her enough.” She says with a chuckle and he raises his eyebrows in response. “I know, I know.. I had to explain to her that sometimes grown ups like to hang out with other grown ups. Without kids.”

“But?” He leans back in his chair.

“But, I told her I would invite you over tonight, to have dinner with both of us.” She looks as though she has prepared herself for rejection and he flashes a grin at her, alleviating those feelings as a little smile creeps across her lips.

“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”

She smiles bigger now, leaning down to press a kiss to his soft, plump lips, bursting into giggles as Mulder pulls her off of the desk and down onto his lap. She nuzzles his cheek, running her fingers through the back of his hair.

“You’re the best. Do you know that?” She bats her lashes at him, speaking softly as he gazes at her with eyes full of adoration. “She’s going to be so happy. She loves you so much.”

He beams at this, his heart flooding with joy as tears prick slightly at his eyes.

“What if i told you I love her even more?” 

“I’d tell you to make sure you’re at my place by 7.”

They both grin now, sharing one more kiss before they return to their respective tasks, suddenly more motivated than ever to leave on time today.

\---

Mulder watches the second hand on his watch as he waits outside Scully’s door, two extravagant bouquets in his hand: one for Scully, and one for mini-Scully. He’s been there since 6:45, but doesn’t want to seem antsy, deciding to wait until 6:55 to knock. When he finally does, he is greeted by none other than the mini-Scully herself, who hurls herself into his arms before he can even say hello.

“Mulder, Mulder, Mulder!” she hugs his waist tightly and he grins, lifting her up off of the ground with just one arm, making her squeal in excitement as she holds onto his neck.

“Mmm. Hey kiddo. How are ya?”

“Sooooo excited! I knew you would come early so I got ready early. Mommy takes foreverrrr though, but she’ll probably be done soon. I told her you’d be early, but she never ever believes me.”

“Oh no?” He asks bemusedly, closing the door behind them and carrying Emily into the kitchen.

“Nope! She just says she needs to take her time to be pretty for you.” She informs him with an eye roll and a disapproving shake of her head.

“Well did you remind her? About what I told you?”

She gives him a mischievous grin.

“Oh yeah, I say ‘Mommy, Mulder says you’re the most bee-you-tiful woman he’s ever seen in his whole life.’ And then her face gets all red and she makes me leave.”

“Atta girl, Em.” He laughs with an approving nod, setting the flowers down on the counter.

“That's a lotta flowers Mulder.” She points out, reaching down to grab one of the bouquets, examining it with wide, wondering eyes.

“Well they’re for you and your mommy.”

“No way!”

“Way, Em.”

“You’re the bestest dad in the whole wide world.”

There is a prolonged silence as she hugs his neck and her words knock the wind out of him, rendering him completely speechless as he struggles to swallow the lump that has formed in his throat. Shaking him to his core as his eyes well up with tears which he blinks away quickly.

“Uh oh. Sorry. Mommy told me not to say that… sorry Mulder.” She says dejectedly as she pulls back to look at him.

He gives her a knowing smile. “Don’t worry about it, crazy. How about you go find mommy and tell her to get her butt in here so we can eat?”

“Kay Mulder.” She agrees happily as he sets her down, running off and disappearing into Scully’s bedroom.

He takes this brief moment of solitude to try and collect himself, trying not to think anything more of Emily’s comment. Trying not to think about the fact that he would give anything in the world to be her father, to love her unconditionally as his own daughter. He shakes his head quickly, snapping himself out of it and filing that thought away in the back of his mind for a much later time.

Meanwhile in the master bath, Emily is tugging at Scully’s blouse, nagging her to hurry up as she applies a fresh coat of mascara to her lashes, waterproof mascara, which she knows she’ll be needing if things go according to her and Emily’s plan for the night.

“Mommmm come on! Do I have to do everything here?” She huffs, exasperated with the holdup her mother is causing.

“Em, just let me finish my makeup, please.”

“He’s been here for like two hours mommy! What if he leaves before I get to ask him?”

Scully smiles to herself, knowing Mulder would never do such a thing, but amused nonetheless at her daughter’s infatuation with him. She applies one final coat before putting the tube back in her makeup bag and looking down at her daughter.

“See? That didn’t take long at all, did it?”

Emily sighs, slumping her shoulders in defeat earning a smirk from her mother.

“You ready to do this thing?”

“Mommy, I was born ready.”

\---

The three of them enjoyed dinner and dessert, washed, dried and put away the dishes together, and were now snuggled up on the couch watching one of Emily’s disney movies. With Scully pressed up against his side with his arm draped over her shoulders, and Emily curled up in his lap, Mulder couldn’t recall a time when he’d been this happy, this content with his life.

He is too engrossed in the movie to notice the quiet interaction between Scully and Emily, so when the television switches off, it takes him by surprise.

“Hey, I was enjoying that.” He pouts playfully and Emily giggles.

“Mulder, uh, Emily has something she has been wanting to talk to you about. If that's alright with you?” She says softly, giving his thigh an affectionate squeeze and looking up at him hopefully and he turns his attention to Emily. 

“I’m all ears, kiddo.”

“Okay Mulder I’ll be right back. Don’t you dare move!” Emily gives him the warning finger making him grin as she hops off of his lap and vanishes into her bedroom.

“What’s goin’ on here?” He murmurs into Scully’s hair and she sits up slightly, adjusting her posture. Before she can say anything, Emily is back with a little piece of paper in tow and a humongous smile plastered across her face.

“I’ve been thinking a whooole lot Mulder.” She stands in front of him as though giving a speech.

“I was thinking about how all of my friends at school have mommies and daddies to take care of them all the time. And Mulder, I didn’t ever have a daddy. It’s just mommy and me. And I love mommy, because she’s the best. Buttt, I think that I want to have a mom and a dad. You know, that way, when mommy gets tired, my dad can hang out with me and we can go get slushies and go to the park and do things mommy won’t let me do.” She explains with a radiant smile and Scully looks up at Mulder to see that he is already pouring over with tears. She squeezes his arm lovingly and presses a tender kiss to his cheek as tears quickly begin to well up in her own eyes.

“And I told my teacher at school that I wanted a dad, and she told me I had to ask my mom about that.” She grins at Scully who smiles sweetly at her, encouraging her to continue.

“She also said that I need to find someone I want to be my dad, who loves me and wants me to be his daughter. She said he should be nice and funny and take extra good care of me and my mommy.” Mulder hugs Scully closer to him, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily before looking up at the ceiling and then back down at Emily.

“So Mulder. You are the nicest and funniest person in the whole world, and you always make me and mommy so happy every single day, even when you don’t hang out with me.”

He chokes out something between a laugh and a sob as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, a tearful smile painted across his features.

“So pretty much, you are the perfect dad for me. You know, if you want to be my dad..” She says with a little nervous twinge to her voice that makes his heart swell up in the best way he’s ever known.

“Uh oh. Mommy he’s crying. Mommy! You’re crying too! Why are you guys crying so much!? You’re like little babies or something!”

“Come here, you crazy.” Mulder mumbles through his tears, lifting her up onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her and rocking her back and forth as he waits for his tears to subside.

Emily turns her head to look at her mother who is wiping tears from her eyes, giving her a bewildered look. “Mommy, what’s wrong with him?” She whispers. “Did I make him sad?”

Scully just shakes her head, sniffling, trying to find the right words as she watches Mulder cry against her daughter’s shoulder as he holds her in his arms. The sight of that alone is enough to leave her breathless, speechless.

“No, Em.” Her lips curl into a smile as more tears flood her face. “I think you made him very very happy.”

“She’s a smart one, that mother of yours.” Mulder says in a shaky voice before clearing his throat, sitting up straight again. Seeing Mulder smile at her is enough for Emily to wipe the worried expression off her face as her frown turns up into a big smile.

“So, Mulder. What do you think?”

Still struggling to form a coherent thought to express the joy that overwhelms him in this moment, he glances over at Scully, who nods at him, wiping frantically at her eyes. Looks at her for a long moment, making sure that she can see the gratitude, the love in his eyes. The sheer appreciation for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one they’d both feared they’d never be given. The opportunity to have a child of their own to raise and to love together.

“Yoo-hoo, over here, mister!”

He looks at Emily, and she gives him a bashful smile, reaching up to wipe the tears away from his face which only causes more to follow.

“There you go Mulder. No more crying, you crazy. Now I need an answer, you know.”

He breaks out into a grin so big it almost hurts, but it is the best kind of pain he’s ever felt.

“You know what I think, Em?” He takes one of her tiny hands in his own, and Scully’s in the other, squeezing them at the same time.

“I think I’m the luckiest dad in the whole wide world.”

\---


End file.
